Rotary Club of Strathfield
Bulletin
Edition 22 of 2002/3
27 November 2002 Website:
www.rotarnet.com.au/users/9/96933 PRESIDENT: STEPHEN TAYLORSteve’s Snippets.
Sincere thanks to BBQ controller/ organiser / boss Shirley for her great work at The Infants home BBQ on Saturday afternoon. The fete was not a big occasion however we did manage to raise around $200 or so for them. Hopefully all those who assisted and more will be back on duty for our Carols evening on Sat 7th Dec.
Thanks also to Tony Lanzafame for his initiative in organising a large amount of AVON products for our helping the bush appeal. Members donations of $5 were gratefully received on Wednesday evening. Don’t worry about close off dates either please fellows because Brian Johnson has offered to personally take up to the Salvo’s in Moree any of our donated Liquor, Xmas puddings, personal care products, foodstuffs bottled water etc, and if its all too much Keith Byrn will go too. Please fellows lets give the suspension on Brian’s new van a good workout.
This week I ask you to go through your cupboards for any unused Xmas cheer, including nuts, pretzels, decorations, unused gifts etc. Its amazing what you might find. I have donated a dozen bottles of good port surplus to my needs, which I hope will be of help.
WHAT CAN YOU DO !!!!
By the way I am advised that any cash donations should be made payable to The Salvation Army Moree branch. All donations will be receipted and will be tax deductible.
Funds will go through the Rotary Club direct to the Salvo’s.
I hope everyone has a great meeting this week where we honour a past Rotarian and retiring Principal of Meriden School Denise Thomas. Denise is a committed Christian, a highly respected educationalist, and is well known nationally and internationally for her dedication to the education and development opportunities of girls and young women.
I am truly sorry I will not be there for this event.
I wish Pres Elect Keith and Lillian a great evening, and trust you fellows will not be too hard on him. I do know he is quite conscious of trying to finish the meeting on time. ( By the way don’t feel too sorry for a probably well tanned Keith, even though he has to fly out for NZ on Thursday morning, he’s just come back from 2 days at the Marriott in Surfers supposedly at a "conference")
I look forward to seeing everyone next week (Wed 4th Dec) for our Past Presidents night (gee, another night off), AGM, and election of officers for Keith’s year, AND our second club assembly for the year. Hopefully we will be in a position to give you options for our catering and meeting problems.
Enjoy your week everyone, and please start gathering your donations for our appeal.
Happy riding Steve
LAST WEEK'S MEETING
Our guest speaker was Jo Boyce, a representative of the pharmaceutical company Alphapharm, who provided members with a lively presentation on 'Generic Pharmaceuticals'.
Jo's primary role is to inform the public and provide a greater understanding of the generic industry and the reason why they are fast becoming a big part of the pharmaceutical industry.
When talking about generic, one is talking patent-expired medication, and currently in Australia drugs have a 25-year life or competition-free period.
The original manufacturer has a number of options available to them when the patent period has expired. They can cross-license the product and manufacture it for other companies, while at the same time continue to market the original product. By this process they are able to protect their market share.
The only thing that is different is the box they are packed in.
Another option is to allow other companies to use the formula to manufacture their own product, but this must be performed under government regulation and testing. The product must work in exactly the same way as the original; it is just a different brand of the same drug.
When there is more than one brand of the same medicine, the government will only subsidise up to the lowest price brand. The customer will have to pay any excesses. Thus, if the generic brand is cheaper than the original the customer will have to pay the difference.
Jo emphasised the fact that in Australia all generic pharmaceutical products are the same as the original, because of strict government regulation. They may be a different shape or even a different colour but they will still work just the same as the original.
The average saving per prescription is $2.00. If the Doctor does not specifically prescribe the original product, the choice is always with the customer.
Jo concluded her presentation by answering a wide variety of questions from members.
RI Board of Directors discontinues RI disaster relief activities
At its 2-8 November meeting, the Rotary International Board voted to discontinue RI disaster relief activities, as of 1 January 2003. The Board encourages Rotarians to work through experienced international relief agencies in the event of a disaster.
As of 1 January, RI will no longer issue notices of disaster requested by governors of affected districts, which allow Rotary clubs to contribute directly to the account set up by the affected district and districts to use up to $10,000 of their SHARE District Designated Funds.
The directors recognized that Rotarians have a strong interest in disaster relief and, immediately following any major disaster, request information on how they can help. But they agreed that longstanding international relief agencies are far better equipped than district relief committees to allocate money quickly and appropriately to help victims in need. Rotarians are encouraged to use RI's World Community Service program and The Rotary Foundation's Humanitarian Grants programs to support long-term projects to rebuild in the aftermath of a disaster.
Books can take you to any place in the world, and they have more legroom than most aeroplanes.
Some say a dog is man's best friend; I say books are. You don't have to walk them or clean up after them.
Two things can ruin a good book for me: having someone tell me the ending or dropping it into the bathwater.
I read a book on levitation the other day; I couldn't put it down.
I had a book on improving your memory. I read it twice. I forgot I read it the first time.
I'm a very slow reader. By the time I get to the end of a murder mystery, it doesn't matter who did it. The statute of limitations have run out.
I had a friend who once tried to read the phone book from cover to cover, but he kept losing track of the characters.
I picked up a self-help book that was so complicated that I had to get someone to help me read it.
I bought a book about near-death experiences, but I took it back. I didn't like the ending…. It didn't seem complete.
I love to read a good book before going to sleep, because after going to sleep I keep forgetting to turn the pages.
& & & & & & & & & & & & & &
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
A silent man is a wise one. A man without words is a man without thoughts.
Look before you leap. He who hesitates is lost.
Many hands make light work. Too many cooks spoil the broth.
Actions speak louder than words. The pen is mightier than the sword.
Clothes make the man. Don't judge a book by its cover.
It's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease. The nail that sticks out gets hammered.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Better safe than sorry.
